Clutch for blower-fans and the like.



D. H. COOK & E. J. WILSON; CLUTCH FOB. BLOWER FANS AND THE LIKE.

APPL IOATION FILED SEP'LZG, 1912.

' vPatented Feb. 4, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. i

DARWIN 11. 000K AND ERVON J. wrtsonjor MINOT, Noam DAKOTA.

CLTl'TCH FOR BLOWER-FANS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4., 1913.

Application filed September 26, 1912. Serial No. 722,548.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DARWIN H. Coon and ERvoN J. WILSON, citizens of the Umted States, residing at Minot, North Dakota,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches for Blower-Fans and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to clutch mechanism and is particularly designed by usfor use in connection with a fan or blower for grain separating machinery or threshers.

One object of the invention is to permit the fan to run ahead of the shaft should the'shaft for any reason be irregular in its revolution or become clogged in its action.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a face view of the blower or fan member with the cap or top plate removed, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view substantially on line 2.2 of Fig. 1.

In these drawings theblower or fan 1 is provided with a hub or rim 2, within which is seated a plate or disk 3 and through this disk the shaft 4 passes, the said shaft having a cross arm or head 5 with rollers 6 seated in the recesses 7 at the ends of the said cross arm. This arm is keyed to the drive shaft 4. The disk 3 carries a pair of friction shoes 8, each one of these shoes is pivotally mounted as at 9, and they are both adapted to bear at theirj portions 10 against the inside of the rim or hub'2 of the blower. These portions 10 on their inner sides have inclines 11 upon whiph the balls or rollers 6 are adapted to wor adjacent the opposite ends of the cross arm or cross head 5. Supposing the shaft to be turning in the direction of the arrow X, the

rollers 6 will tend to roll up to the high' points of the inclines and therefore the friction shoes will be moved radially outward at The friction shoes also have.exten-- sons 12 and these he with their free endsshaft and cross arm 5. .Should it transpire however, that the rotation of, the shaft is irregular, for instance through the clogging of its driving mechanism, the blower will be free to'run ahead of the shaft to compensatefor this irregularity in the shafts rotation, this being particularly desirable in a fan fora thresher so that the blowing operat-ion will be kept as uniform as possible.

Supposing, therefore, the shaft suddenly slows down, this will be the equivalent relatively to a'movement of the cross head or' arm 5 in the arrow direction Y in respect to the hub or rim 2 of the fan. This action will not only cause the rollers to move down the, inclines and thus relieve pressure on the shoes but it will bring the ends'of the cross arm 5 against the extensions 12 of the pivotally mounted shoes so that said shoes will be moved inwardly away from the rim or hub at their gripping portions 10 and therefore the hub'together with the fan will be free to rotate ahead of the shaft and its cross arm. By this construction the releasing operation is rendered quick and certain and the shoes take the wear off the rollers, the said shoes being readily replaceable. These shoes have a long frictional bearing against the interior of the hub or rim and distribute the wear over a considerable surace.

lVe'cl aim as our invention In combination withv the member to be hers work, said'shoes being adapted to frictionally engage a portion of the member I inclines upon which said anti-friction mem to be driven, a carrier'or support to which the said shoes are pivotally mounted, said shoes having extensions reaching to a point adJacent the ends of the arms, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

- DARWVIN H. COOK.

ERVON J. WILSON.

Witnesses.

'CHAs, D; Kanso,

GEO. TWIFORD. 

